Likewise,
young men
be subject to the elders.

And all of you,
clothe yourselves with humility
toward one another,
because
God will oppose the proud
but will give grace to the humble.¹
So be humbled
by the mighty hand of God,
so that he might lift you up
in due time
Cast all your cares on him,
because it is a care to him.

1. Proverbs 3 34 ↩︎

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

So I
the fellow-elder
and a witness of the sufferings of Christ
also the partner in the glory
about to be revealed
exhort the elders among you,
to shepherd
the flock of God,
[taking care]
not under compulsion
but willingly, according to God(‘s way)
nor for sordid gain
but eagerly,
nor lording it over your portions (of the flock)
but be an example to the flock
and (when) the Chief Shepherd appears
you will receive the wreath (that is) glory – which never fades just like Amarinth.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
stay beside me to defend me,
within me to guide me,
before me to lead me,
and above me to bless me,
that with you and in you,
I may live, and move and have my being,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

(unknown)

However let no one of you suffer
as a murderer
as a thief
as an evildoer
or as busybody.
So if (one of you suffers)
as a Christian,
let them not be ashamed,
but let them glorify God
in this matter¹
because (it is) the time
for judgement
to begin
(starting) from the house of God.
for if (it begins) first with us,
what will be the end of those who disobey the Gospel of God?
and if the righteous will be barely saved
where will the godless and sinner be?²
So let those who suffer
according to the will of God,
entrust their souls,
to a faithful Creator
by doing good.

Steer the ship of my life, good Lord, to your quiet harbour,
where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict.
Show me the course I should take.
Renew in me the gift of discernment,
so that I can always see the right direction in which I should go.
And give me the strength and the courage to choose the right course,
even when the sea is rough and the waves are high,
knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in your name
we shall find comfort and peace.
Amen

Basil of Caesarea (c.329-379)

1. Or ‘in this name’ ↩︎
2. Prov 11:31
   
   
   ↩︎

Beloved, do not be surprised
that a trial
among you
by fire
is happening
to test you
as a surprising thing occurring.
But in as much
you share the sufferings of Christ
rejoice!
So that
at the revelation of his glory
you may be full of joy.

If you are insulted
on account of the name of Christ,
(you are) blessed
because the Spirit of Glory,
that is the Spirit of God
rests upon you.¹

1. Isal 11:2 ↩︎

Take from us,
O God, all pride and vanity,
all boasting and self-assertion,
and give us the true courage that shows itself in gentleness,
the true wisdom that shows itself in simplicity,
and the true power that shows itself in modesty.

Charles Kingsley

The end of all things has come very near.
So be sensible and be sober
for (the sake of your) prayers:
above all
having unfailing love
for one another
because
love covers a multitude of sins¹
Be hospitable to one another
without complaining.
As far as each person has received a gift
– servie it to one other
as faithful stewards
of the varied grace of God:
whoever speaks
as (someone speaking) the words of God
if some serves
as (someone serving) with strength which God provides.
in order that God might be glorified in all things
through Jesus Christ,
who is the glory and the power
for ever and ever. Amen.

1. Proverbs 10:12 ↩︎

O thou, who art the light of the minds that know thee,
the life of the souls that love thee,
and the strength of the wills that serve thee;
help us so to know thee that we may truly love thee;
so to love thee that we may fully serve thee,
whom to serve is perfect freedom.
Amen

… the nations…
who will give an account
to him who is ready
to judge
the living and the dead
for this is why the good news was preached
to people who are (now) dead
that although they might have been condemned
according to human standards
now they might live
according to God’ standards
in the Spirit.

God be in head and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes and in my looking;
God be in my mouth and in my speaking;
God be in my heart and in my thinking;
God be at my end and at my departing.

Therefore
Christ having suffered in the flesh
you also arm yourself with the same attitude:
because the one who suffers in the flesh
has finished with sin,
for they live
no longer according to human desires
but according to the will of God
(their) remaining time in the flesh.
For the time has been enough
so that the will of the nations has been accomplished
having walked along in
debauchery
passions
drunkenness
carousing
partying
and disgusting idolatry.
Because of this,
they are surprised
when you do not run with with them
into the same flood of reckless living
with the result that they blaspheme.

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts;
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil;
Eternal Power, be our support;
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance:
That we may seek your face
with all our heart and mind and soul and strength. Amen.
Alcuin

(… the spirits in prison)
long ago
disobeyed
when ‘the patience of God’ waited
in the days of Noah
as the ark was being built
in which a few,
this is eight souls
were brought safely by water,
which corresponds to baptism
which now saves you
– not the removal of dirt from (of?) (the) flesh
but a pledge to God of a good conscience
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who is on the right hand of God,
having gone into heaven
the angels and authorities and powers
having been subjected to him.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

For also Christ suffered
once-for-all-time
for sins,
-the righteous man for the unrighteous many
so that he might bring you to God,
although
having been killed
in the flesh
he was made alive
in the spirit
-in which, also
he went and preached
to the spirits in prison…

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art –
Thou my best thought, by day or by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

And who is the one who will harm you,
if you become eager for the good?
But if you also suffer
for the sake of righteousness
(you are) blessed.
Do not fear their fear¹
and neither be troubled,
But revere the Lord as Christ
in your hearts,
ready
always
to answer anyone
who asks you
(for) a reason
for the hope in you,
But with gentleness and fear (of God)
having a good conscience
so that your slanderers
when they abuse
your good (life) in Christ
might be put to shame

For it is better
– doing good
if the will of God wills (it)
to suffer
-than doing evil.

1. Isa 8:12 ↩︎

Lord, you have given me so much,
I ask for one more thing –
a grateful heart.

George Herbert